August 4 2008, Singapore - The Amazing Race Asia 3 is coming, this time expect the action to be taken a notch higher as this is the toughest race ever!

Asia has been eagerly anticipating the return of The Amazing Race Asia on AXN since the thrilling second season that brought viewers many exciting moments. It was also the program to tune-in to for close to 19 million viewers across Asia. So gear up for an absolutely intense third installment of The Asian edition of the 15-time nominated, five-time Emmy Award winning reality travel competition that debuts exclusively on AXN, 11 September, every Thursday @ 9pm (EA) 10pm (HK).

Expect a whole lot more drama and adrenalin-rushing excitement as The Amazing Race Asia 3 unfolds "The Toughest Race". Mr. Ricky Ow, Senior Vice- President and General Manager of SPE Networks - Asia, the parent network of the AXN channel explains, "It will be the toughest race ever as there will be many challenges the contestants will not expect and be mentally prepared for. The teams will have shorter resting time, the journey will be harder, and the speed of the race will be faster and more intense. This combined with the new cast, you can expect many dramatic moments, tears, twists and turns, and an overall thrilling ride for viewers!"

The Amazing Race Asia 3 has a totally new and exciting cast to look out for. Besides the first Korean team joining the race, season 3 also has the highest number of family relationships in all seasons of The Amazing Race Asia. And unlike their predecessors, many of the contestants are not used to the demands of high adventure. Yet this vibrant and spirited group of contestants is simply brimming with energy and an eagerness to win. They are definitely just as colorful and competitive as the previous season's; and under the toughest race's intense conditions, they will provide many valuable TV moments and a whole lot more drama.

Up for this tough challenge are 10 diverse teams from India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Korea and the Philippines that guarantee to turn heads, not just because some are the best looking people around. The contestants are: 3 beauty queens counting a former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova and wife to Thailand's highest ranking (and once world #9) tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan; the first-ever Korean team made up by sporty brothers; famous Malaysian faces - Bernie Chan who pairs up with her brother, and actress Ida Nerina (Serpet) with her heiress pal Tania Khan; a comedian who can't help but crack jokes on-and-off screen with his teacher buddy; a beautiful ex air-hostess and cousin from India; and a dramatic father and son team with theatrical antics.

AXN is proving to be the leading original content creator in the region with two successful past seasons of The Amazing Race Asia under its belt. The Amazing Race Asia 3 is also boosted by leading global brands, Caltex, MASkargo, Nokia, Singha Corporation, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific and Standard Chartered Bank.

Mr. Ricky Ow notes, "The Amazing Race Asia is a mega production and we have only been able to create this world world-class production because of the faith of our valuable partners. Many like Sony Electronics Asia Pacific, Caltex, Nokia and Standard Chartered Bank are long-time supporters of Asian franchise, and we are proud to bring in our new partners Singha Corporation and MASkargo to the Race."

Get to know the new contestants of The Amazing Race Asia 3 when the season premieres on AXN this September! For more details about the race, visit the official website http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com, and watch the special Racers Revealed episode to find out more about the teams. Racers Revealed will debut on AXN 4 September, Thursday @ 9pm (SG, MY, PH, TH), 10pm (HK, South Asia), 8pm (JKT).

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'Sometimes when you are not so gung-ho and physically fit, you find faster ways of doing things. We might not be hard workers but we are smart workers,' Faeza Sirajudin (far left, with Adeline chan) -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

It is clear from the photo shoot what kind of a team Adeline D. Chan and Faeza (Fuzzie) Sirajudin are. Faeza tells the photographer half-jokingly: 'No running and no jumping, you do not want to misrepresent us.' The two 34-year-olds form the Singapore team in the upcoming third season of The Amazing Race Asia, which premieres on AXN (StarHub Channel 19) on Sept 11. Ten teams will be competing for the top prize of US$100,000 (S$141,000).

The last Singapore team to compete in the successful Asian spin-off of the hit American reality TV show was hearing-impaired Adrian Yap and Collin Low. They went on to win the contest.

So Chan, a freelance writer/director, and Faeza, a partner at Creative Horizons Language Centre, have big shoes to fill.

But the laidback duo, who met in university and have been friends for 15 years, are cool about the pressure.

In fact, Chan says in their application video, they pitched themselves as the most unlikely racers. Unlike Yap and Low who were gym buddies, the two say: 'We do not backpack, we trolley-bag. We are not the rough-it-out type.'

Faeza chimes in: 'If there was an Olympic event for chilling, we would be gold medallists and world-record holders.'

They readily admit they are not the fittest people either. Their attempts to rev up their fitness level before the race was 'too little, too late', says Chan.

To make things more challenging, she says she has certain quirks, though she quips it is 'not as bad as Monk', referring to the detective with obsessive compulsive disorder played by the Emmy award-winning Tony Shalhoub in the hit TV series.

'I do not like dirt that is derived from food, so crumbs really bother me. Mud I can take, but not garbage.'

During the race, she just has to deal with it.

'If we have to wait by the street somewhere, I would just put my bag on top of hers or carry it until I cannot tahan (endure). Faeza is filthy, by the way. She brushes against dustbins,' says Chan.

Faeza's quick rejoinder: 'I have no fear of dirt, I do not know if that makes me filthy.'

Even though they might not be on top of their game physically, she points out: 'Sometimes when you are not so gung-ho and physically fit, you find faster ways of doing things. We might not be hard workers but we are smart workers.'

Chan adds jokingly: 'Laziness is the mother of invention.'

Their race strategy is simply not to get unnecessarily stressed. For example, Faeza says: 'It is a waste of time to try to be the first to grab a cab. I am always amazed how people get so kancheong (anxious) over that.'

Chan points out: 'It is a difference of maybe 10 minutes and the first driver can also be an idiot.'

Although they have watched the race on TV, the duo are still surprised by the physical challenges posed by the contest.

Faeza says: 'When you watch it on TV, you do not realise how long and draining the flights are.'

Chan laments: 'After a long journey, you just want to rest but no, that is when it starts.'

They insist they do not feel the pressure of following in the footsteps of the winning Singapore team.

Faeza says: 'It is not the Olympics and I do not feel we are representing Singapore or we have something to maintain.'

One thing Chan is concerned about though is seeing herself on TV. 'I am not looking forward to showing the world my paper undies.'

Peach,This is notification to anyone interested that there is a brief segment on Cochin in the latest new epside of Globetrekker on Indian foods. I saw it tonight but it was also on last night on local PBS channels. I know it will be shown again because they rerun them frequently, but I cannot tell you when. The Cochin segment of about 5 minutes is about 18 minutes into the program following Bangalore and Hyderabad and preceding Goa. I have a VCR tape but am lending it to a friend.

Developments, closures and cancellations related to the imposition of emergency rule:

- Singapore and South Korea advised their citizens yesterday against non-essential travel to Thailand, raising concerns about more damage to the tourism economy. Australia and New Zealand, on the other hand, advised their citizens to ”exercise a high degree of caution” if travelling to Thailand.

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Singha Corporation called off its entertainment activities planned this week including a press conference on AXN Amazing Race Asia, which was designed to promote Singha beer in Asia through sport sponsorship.

Shot in Asia and Europe, the series featured contestants from Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Korea, Singapore and the Philippines. The Asian promotional tour of Season 3 began in Hong Kong, after Bangkok, the original starting point, was ruled out because of political turmoil in the Thai capital.

Ratings in Asian markets for these two shows were higher than the ratings for the original U.S. versions when they were shown in Asia, "proving that original programming is the way forward for the network," he said.

In addition to running on AXN, the two previous seasons of "Amazing Race Asia" were syndicated to China, Malaysia and New Zealand. "Contender Asia" also has a broad appeal outside Asia in Sweden and Australia, Lim said.

Apart from adapting for Asia "Contender" and "Amazing Race" for AXN, SPE has been producing local content, including the animated TV movie "LaMB" for Animax.